Sunday, September 15, 2013

Zoë Jordan starts the second day of Fashion
week sending graffiti covered garments down the runway. Adhering to the
season’s colour palette of pastel pink and grey, she also decides to throw in a
bright red at the end of her show to leave a lasting impression.

Girls just wanna have fun and Sister by
Sibling knows how to give a girl just that through her clothing and this
collection doesn’t disappoint. They provide everything in this collection from
the slogan sweaters, peak a boo dresses and flower sandals.

My favourite element of Antipodium’s
collection had to be the peak a boo metallic skirts and dresses Geoffrey J.
Finch made for this collection, I could have seen a whole collection with that
fabric.

At the Orla Kiely theatrical show the
models walked through a safari camp stopping at different stations along the
way and carrying props. Orla is famed for her prints; her famous leaf print
makes an appearance along with a graphic giraffe.

Some of Holly Fulton’s wonderful prints look
to be inspired by Ishihara colour test (colour blindness test) but as always
Holly Fulton sends a variety of prints down the catwalk so we were just spoilt
for choice.

John Rocha also went for the peak a boo
look for his collection. He creates layers using the sheer fabric, he throws in
some embellishment and ruffles and what
we are left with is a collection which keeps making me think ‘kinky my fair
lady’.

The collection everyone was waiting for was
Julien McDonald’s and there would be no unhappy faces in the audience. Julian
produced what everyone would expect from him which was bling and glamour. His
sexy dresses wrap around the models like a second skin and float so beautifully
to the floor they look like glitzy angels.

With David Koma we want structure and
impeccable tailoring and what the people want the people get. His sharp
asymmetric black and white dresses were to die for, every woman no matter what
your shape would look fantastic in any of these.

It’s a good thing that J W Anderson is now
designing womenswear because he’s good at it. You can see that he loves to play
with fabric and textures, this collection looks like it was his sand box and he
just got the green light to go wild.

This collection by Ashish is so cool and not
just because it uses one of the most coolest brands out there, the styling is
on point especially the iconic shopping bags that are synonymous with the
British High street.

Another show people couldn’t wait for was
House of Holland, Henry Holland’s collection. He had all the colours of the
season included, check, stripe and floral prints, even the Virgin Mary got a
chance to shine.

Now let’s not forget the fashionistas who
make LFW what it is. Take Vanessa Feltz, bless her she does try and that dress
is a pretty good choice for her so give her a round of applause, oh wait look
down at her feet and a sigh leaves my lips and my head is shaking, she was so
close but what on earth are the shoes she is wearing?????? Front row at Julian
McDonald consisted of wag Abbey Crouch, Anna Kendrick, Paloma Faith and Eliza
Doolittle who coincidently also took this opportunity to have a bit of fun with
the wardrobe wearing a cut out body suit, which isn’t anything new for her and some
very questionable trousers. These are people you are supposed to look towards
for inspiration but ladies don’t look for your sakes it’s best to look away.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Day 1 of London Fashion Week starts off
with Bora Aksu sending down the catwalk an array of beautiful outfits
comprising of intricate fabric manipulations and textures.

Fyodor Golan a Latvia and Israeli born duo
ease the audience in gently with softer tones of white, nude and sky blue only
to dazzle them with a colour that could be described as golden neon yellow.

Felder Felder, the twin sisters who studied
at Central Saint Martin’s. Their ideal client is a woman who is at ease with
herself and the world. Felder Felder women are young at heart but a little
wild. This show proves they haven’t lost touch with the customer.

Ostwald Helgason threw colour and prints at
everyone at Fashion Week, proving to those in doubt its ok to mix and match
your prints and still look really cool. I bet no one missed the cheeky balloon
animals on the T-shirt.

J JS Lee a Korean born talent who’s pattern
cutting is superior, minimalist and modern. Sending down the catwalk a mixture
of miniskirts and cigarette trousers.

The duo that is Pearce Fionda sent down the
catwalk a series of evening wear outfits which are a testament to their talent.
Any woman will feel like a million pounds as she enters the room in any one of
these outfits. Beautifully cut and masterfully sculpting the female figure with
such precision.

Daks went for a check print, which features
throughout. The orange and tan colour brings life to all the outfits, I love
everything in this collection, what do you think?

Christopher Raeburn need I say more. The
mens and womenswear designer who always comes up with the goods. I can’t decide
if my favourite piece is the metallic silver dress (beautiful and very
forgiving) or the cool quilted blue metallic jacket with the jersey sleeves.
Both are on my wish list I think.

Jean Pierre born in Canada and studied at
Central Saint Martin’s, this man knows a thing or two about prints. With a
somewhat oriental vibe mixed with modern art, his collection is edgy, daring
and dark.

Well Jasper Conran definitely wanted to
mesmerise the audience, firstly with the set which was covered with
monochromatic patterns on the walls and floor. Then to top that the clothing
seemed to have emerged from the background and come to life right in front of
the audience. By far the most graphic collection so far of London Fashion Week.

The last show of the day was PPQ and they
didn’t disappoint. Bringing the tropics to rainy London, bright sunshine yellow
bodices, crop tops, colour blocking and fitted skirts with ruffled hems. I
didn’t expect anything less but fun and frivolity from this duo.

That’s it for the first day but I couldn’t
let you go without seeing what the fashionista’s were wearing to London’s most
fashionable event. #On the Streets

What the fashionista's were wearing to London's most fashionable event

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Even though it’s raining outside I feel
warm inside after taking a quick look at the Spring Summer 14 Resort
collections where I see prints, colour and short skirts. I can’t wait, can you?London Fashion Week (LFW) is starting tomorrow, so I gathered information regarding trends and what to expect for the upcoming Spring Summer 14 Season. You can also find a few tips on how to pull off these fashion trends to flatter your body shape.

Trend #1: Club Tropicana (Tropical Prints)

Don’t just think of Florals next spring;
bring the tropics to this island in the form of tropical prints.

Prints are great although they can make
or break an outfit, here’s how to wear this style according to your body shape.

Prints are always a great trend, but choose them wisely according to your body shape

Straight body ladies – You can wear any
print you like, you just need to think about creating shape. Great examples for
you are the outfits from Reed Krakoff and Fausto Puglisi. Both fantastic
designers and one of the most important elements in their outfits you have to
look at is the belt, It creates instant shape.

Pear ladies – Prints can also act as
camouflage, take the Kenzo outfit. This print is so striking and bold no one
will even notice your hips and if you’re brave enough to wear a crop top this
is also a trend for SS14.

Hourglass lovelies – You don’t want to
lose your shape under a load of palm trees, with you less is more. You can be bold with your prints and colours
but try to keep them on the top half of your body. The trick is to mix and
match with plain staples so you won’t look like an Hawaiian tourist.

Inverted triangles - Don’t think that
you have to miss out on this trend, you can wear the boldest patterns with the
brightest colours, the only rule you have to abide by is only wear them on your
bottom half.

Oval lasses – Patterns are your friend
so this trend should be too. Be careful though and opt for a darker print
especially around your mid section so you don’t highlight this area. Try
wearing an empire line or belt to create a waistline.

Diamond women – Go for smaller prints,
large prints will overwhelm you. If you can try and keep darker patterns around
your waist and go for bold colours around your neckline and lower body creating
an hourglass illusion.

Trend #2: Smooth Suede (Fabric Trend)

Suede comes in all shapes, sizes and
colours, and that’s the most important aspect of this fabric trend, colour. Any body shape can pull off this trend; just
make sure you compliment your figure. If you want to be bold you don’t have to
stick to a suede jacket, see Emilio Pucci’s purple suede shorts, for all you
inverted triangles out there.

Suede is the Spring Summer 14 fabric trend to have

Trend #3: The ship hasn’t sailed (Nautical Stripes)

As always the nautical trend is back but
unlike previous years you don’t have to be too garish, just a little blue, red
and white stripe here and there and that’s really all that’s required. Now some of you ladies are afraid of
stripes but don’t be.

Nautical Blue Stripes will be back on the next Spring

Straight shapes can wear horizontal
stripes, if you can try and get irregular striped clothing, this serves as an
illusion which if positioned in the right place can create shape.

Pear ladies must avoid horizontal
stripes around the hips because it will only widen them. Keep stripes on your
top half and stick to thin stripes.

Hourglass women have to make sure you
don’t hide your curves, vertical stripes are the best for you because they
won’t widen your body.

Inverted triangles should wear stripes
on your their bottom half. Nice pin stripe trousers will make a really nice
outfit, flares are good for you so you might want to stick to the nautical
colours and if you want to be bolder choose a horizontal striped skirt.

Oval shapes would be great in vertical
stripes of any thickness because they draw the eye up and down and not side to
side.

Diamond ladies don’t think that stripes
should be a no go, even vertical ones if used correctly could make you look
like a million pounds. If you wear stripes of varying widths and use the
colours of this trend to your advantage by keeping navy and black stripes
around your mid section, no white here ladies that will have the opposite
effect to what you want. Vary the size of the stripes the further you get from
your waist and you can introduce white and red too. If that just sounds too
scary try stripes that go in multiple directions again with varying colours.

Trend #4: Lighter side of denim (Light Denim)

Denim comes in all colours but in SS14
the only shade you need worry about is light. And don’t just think that denim
is only for the weekends, see Altuzarra taking the tone of denim and using it
for this smart skirt and blazer combo.

Anyone can wear this trend, even if you
don’t want to be head to toe in light denim mix darker tones and different
textures to really spice up your outfit.

Light Denim is a major trend for Spring Summer 14

Trend #5: The Only Way is Up (Mini Skirts)

Your skirts hemline that is, be prepared
to show off your legs in SS14. After a blistery winter it’s only natural we
want to get our pins out so they can breathe a little.

This trend is for everyone, the trick is
not to go too high or you might head into dangerous/unflattering territory. For those with a bit or a lot of hips
make sure you wear fabric that has a bit of give in it or vents so your skirt
doesn’t start looking like a stretched elastic band.

The trend isn’t about frilly or flared
skirts, think simplicity not milk maid.

Show off your legs with Mini Skirts

Now do tell us... which trends are you dying to wear?

This post was written byLouise Blaize. Louise is a
fashion stylist at stylingup.com. Her style is mainly colourful and edgy and
she loves art, travelling, food and cocktails.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Every woman needs a pair of glamorous heels! Whether going to a night
out with friends, a formal dinner with colleagues, a party or a cocktail, heels
have the awesome strength to make or break an outfit. And we all know that
perfect shoes (combined with a great bag / clutch and great accessories) can
really revamp an outfit and elevate it to another level.

High Street Brands usually have lots of heels on their collections… however,
not all of them are suited for more formal night events, parties and cocktails.
So, with the help from our fashion stylists, we gathered a few pairs (in different styles and colours) that
caught our eyes attention and that we think that will look perfect for a special glam night or day.

So, here's the list of our top 10 glam heels. This list is based on what we saw on the high street. The prices range from 25
to 168£, including items on sale, and are from the following brands: Carvela, Monsoon, Ravel, AX Paris,
Lovel Label, French Connection, Miss Kg, Dorothy Perkins and Fearne Cotton.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Summer
is slowly departing after a short visit, the stores are gearing up for Autumn
and the countdown to London Fashion Week (LFW) has started, ready to show us what
delights await us in Spring/Summer 2014.

Let’s
recap on what we saw back in February for the Autumn Winter 13 (AW13) trends strutting down the catwalk. Below, you'll find not only the trends for the upcoming AW season but also some tips on how to pull off these trends shopping from high street retailers and wear them on a daily basis.

Trend #1: Monochrome

Monochrome
has had a mini makeover this AW13, it’s all about bold black & white prints
in tailored work wear to elaborate evening ensembles.

Any body shape can pull off this trend; just remember one word ‘sophistication’. The
below outfit is perfect for a pear shape. The white blazer draws the eye to the
smallest part of your body, the geometric patterned top adds detail and has an
asymmetric hem line skimming the hips, the panel trousers elongate the legs and
the bag and shoes complete the monochrome look with a tiny bit of colour thrown
in for those that can’t go without.

The
greatest thing about this trend is it will always be in fashion, mix and match
to create your signature style.

Trend #2: Masculinity

Another
trend this season is masculinity, but before you ditch your silhouette
completely there are a few rules. Try to keep a little femininity whether it’s
a bow on your blouse, a splash of colour from a belt and don’t forget the
tailoring. You can stretch the masculine look with an oversized coat later in
the season.

See the
outfit below, the star of this outfit are the denim trousers, the crease down
the front helps to elongate your legs and still looks smart enough to wear to
work. Double breasted blazers are smarter than single so this outfit is a total
mix of casual and smart. The pop of colour comes from this really cool red
studded handbag, even though there’s a masculine trend you should still look
like a women. And lastly for those women who can’t tolerate high heels you
don’t have to feel left out this season, with the masculine trend comes flat
shoes. This patent slipper pump is perfect and comfortable.

Trend #3: Sparkle Impact

Last
but not least with all that monochrome and masculinity during the day a girl’s
got to feel like a girl in the evening so it’s time to frost yourself with
crystals and diamonds (if you're that lucky), if not sequins and glitter will do
the job just fine.

Below
this outfit is sure to impress and it’s all about the dress. With its
asymmetric hem line showing off your stunning pins and all over sequins
dazzling everyone that looks your way, its maximum impact with very little
effort.

So... here it is!! We compiled all the stylists tips for all body shapes (pear, straight, hourglass, inverted triangle, oval and diamond) in one only infographic image for you to share away as you'd like. You can find the image here.

Explore more infographics like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

As summer is slowly going, it's time to buy
your last pair of shorts to enjoy the last few days of sun. Here are six
different types of shorts for all six body shapes: Straight, Pear, Hourglass,
Inverted Triangle, Oval and Diamond. See which type of shorts you like and start
shopping!!

Straight
body shape

The
best feature on a straight body shape are your legs. To enhance this feature,
wearing hot pant shorts will help give your legs length so you look taller.
There are a variety of different types of hot pants that the straight body type
can pull off. You have denim hot pants, disco hot pants or high waist hot pants.
Denim hot pants are the most popular so I'm going to tell you a few styles with
denim hot pants. With denim you can style it with anything you like, crop tops,
blouses, t-shirts, baggy t-shirts and even jumpers if there's a chill in the
evening. For the straight
body shape, a crop top would look great with a pair of denim hot pants,
paired with either boots if you want to look more of a urban or masculine feel
or wear a pair of gladiator sandals if your hitting the beach or shops for the
day.

Pear
body shape

There are so many denim shorts that are being
sold in high street stores so why not go for something unusual that will go
with anything. Acid wash denim shorts are a great statement that can be worn by
the pear body shape with any
coloured top or blouse. Add a pair of trainers and you have a casual sports
look. If you don't fancy acid wash how about some print shorts, floral, block
colour or even just a pair of bright coloured shorts to make your statement.
No-one could miss you in the crowd with bright yellow, green, pink, blue,
purple or orange shorts matched with a plain crop top and some gladiator
sandals. Two great summer styles for denim shorts.

Hourglass
body shape

Even though summer is hot, a pair of
leather shorts with a nice white crop top or blouse would create a great urban
look for the hourglass body
shape. It's an amazing look but it is all the range. Even when summer is
over, leather shorts could be worn in the winter when you're heading out and
about in the evening. Match your leather shorts with white to give you a
monochrome style this summer. If you fancy something more rock chic, add boots,
a baggy t-shirt and a hat to give you a diverse look.

Inverted
Triangle body shape

High waisted shorts have been in fashion
for years and this summer is no exception. For the inverted triangle body
shape this will help to define your waist more and take your eyes off your
broad shoulders. By matching the shorts with sleeveless tops and tank tops this
will help to reduce your broad shoulders and focus more on your waist. There’s
a variety of different types of high waisted denim shorts in different colours
and patterns so team your shorts with your favour tops and shoes to create a
great summer look.

Oval
body shape

For the oval body shape, flappy or
loose shorts can help hide the lumps and bumps you don't like and bring out
your confidence. These shorts are very comfortable as they are lose on your
body so they won't hug your body too much except the waist band. The waistband
can help to enhance your waist, add a belt and you can make your waist the main
feature of your look. With the shorts add a fitted yet comfortable blouse that
can be tucked into the shorts to complete the look. This look is ready for
summer, day or night.

Diamond
body shape

As a diamond body shape your best
features are your arms. We all remember wearing dungarees back in the 90's but
now they have made a massive comeback and are more fashionable than ever.
Dungarees can have a childish look to them but with the right style and look
you can make it look casual chic. Short dungarees are a much better look than
the long style dungarees. With the short style, pair it with a tank top or a
sleeveless blouse to show off your best feature which is your arms. Add colour
to the outfit by wearing a bright coloured tank top with the dungarees along
with some flip flops or sandals so you can hit the beach or go out for the day.
If you feel that you want to cover up more, pair the dungarees with a t-shirt
that makes you feel more comfortable along with a statement necklace and some
flats so that you don't look too childish in the dungarees but much more casual
chic.

This post was written by Sabrina Woolley.
Sabrina is a fashion
stylist at Styling Up. She’s been working in editorial styling for 2 years
and her style is mainly urban and creative chic.

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